Oooookie Dokie. The looooong awaited terminator movie set in the post apocalyptic future is
finally here.
But before I get into my review of the work, I want to lay out there that as a kid I thought T2 was by far the best movie ever. All the taglines, the award winning and groundbreaking special effects and coolness it was enough to keep a kid happy for months, and it did. I watched T2 every single day for 2 months during a summer out of school. (im serious) OCD much? So I knew it back and forward, and when I heard about this movie I nearly lost consciousness. Thank god terminator 3 wasn’t the end…
So with my feelings out there, Ill go ahead and hop in. The big premise of the movie is John Connor trying to figure out if Marcus Wright is good or bad and if he can trust him. Obviously by the trailers you see Marcus is somewhat robotic, and who knows if you can trust him. Pretty cool idea, because it sets up for some twists and turns and Sam Worthington does a great job with the character. Terminator Salvation is set in 2018 with the post nuclear war already occurring and we are thrown right into the mix starting off with Sam Worthingtons character Marcus Wright. Much to my surprise, and probably yours, Sam Worhtington outdoes Christian Bale as John Connor. The character, the acting, everything is better about him in this movie. Bale is still stuck in raspy voiced batman mode and just hasn’t quite escaped it yet, and I didn’t really make a damn bit of connection with him in the movie.
It sucked that this happened, I was supposed to be rooting for John Connor and be on the edge of my seat but I just wasn’t, and it was a huge letdown. This doesn’t destroy the movie though, its still enjoyable to watch. Tons of action and really top notch special effects. You also have Anton Yelchin playing Kyle Reese (the guy sent back to father john connor) who also does a pretty good job in his role but the other characters just really didn’t develop for me enough. Connors wife is pregnant but never even mentioned and she has about one line… theres a mute kid who is Kyles sidekick for some retarded reason… an old lady that shows compassion when her other “rebellions” don’t, then shes abducted and never talks again. Maybe they weren’t developed because its setting up for 2 more sequels, possibly bad writing, because its pg-13, its less than 2 hours long, who knows? But it was lacking.
As youll notice if you see it, the whole movie has the colors desaturated and there are a lot of grays and browns and it makes it look a lot like a world after nuclear war, it’s a nice subconscious touch but at times kinda sucks when you want to bank on the big screen images. Yet the cinematography is top notch, its worth seeing in the theatre.
For the die hard terminator people, there are a few little hidden easter eggs you get to catch and giggle nerdily to yourself about, and a couple blatant satisfiers on taglines in the earlier movies “Come with me if you wanna live”, and “Ill be back”. Little corny but what the hell, it doesn’t destroy the movie for me.
All in all this sequel-prequel (haha, confused??) was enjoyable and a good summer movie but didn’t have me creaming my pants or anything special. There was an Arnold cameo that was pretty awesome, bad ass explosions and special effects and an interesting storyline albeit a smidge predictable. Id say you should still see it in theatres and enjoy yourself but don’t set the bar super high.
May 21st, 2009 at 2:56 PM
I feel ya man, I watched Terminator 2 a shitload of times when I was younger, right off VHS and it was the best.
So you dont have me as excited any more but im still gonna see it, and ill let you know.
May 21st, 2009 at 3:08 PM
Im seein it
May 21st, 2009 at 6:19 PM
Damn. What a downer. I wanted this to be the best of the year. Guess I was hoping for too much. What would you say is better: Star Trek or Terminator?
May 21st, 2009 at 7:03 PM
I saw it last night with my boyfriend who dragged me along but, in the end I really liked it! lol. I didnt have the same exposure as a child like you, but for a movie on its own, it was good! Dont be so hard on it! lol
May 22nd, 2009 at 8:32 AM
Damn fine review. Fair yet critical. Unbiased yet pointed. This reviewer has to have a future in the motion picture and/or food service industry. What movie used the line … a future in the food service industry??? Come on, you know, you probably watched it more than T2 when you were a kid. All in all, sounds like I might have to go see the flick. Great Job!
JB Pops
May 22nd, 2009 at 8:47 AM
Saw it last night, and your review hits it pretty good. Its just satisfying, nothing special. Sucks that the hollywood recycle of movie trilogies hit terminator.
May 22nd, 2009 at 1:10 PM
You watched T2 as a kid!? Hahaha that was pretty violent, your parents are awesome. I couldnt watch a rated R movie at my house until I was damn near 18, and I still got crap from my parents. I still went to friends houses and saw some of the goods, but I didnt see terminator until I was like 16. One of my favorites too. So Im still going out to see this.
May 23rd, 2009 at 3:36 AM
Just putting it out there…so you know…Terminator 2 ranks #1 on all time favorite movies. Not only did I watch everyday for 2 months, I watched it almost every day of my life. The movie interweaves 5 subplots that brilliantly connect at the end of the film. Nuff said. I am a diehard Terminator fan.
I had moderate expectations going into this film and they were met; not surpassed, though. I knew from the very beginning that this movie would cleverly mix in bits and pieces from the other three movies after listening to the opening theme.
I enjoyed the subtle things more than the obvious things. I liked seeing this dark future in the daytime. One of my larger complaints of war movies, space movies, and hero movies is that people don’t really get fucked up. This movie, fucks some bitches up! Seeing Marcus get blasted around was tight! and his eye flickering…BRILLIANT!
The lighting got to me at times but I’ll address that later. If I was deaf then I would have loved this movie instead of liked it…
The stupid fucking machine sounds werent believable. Batman’s errr I mean John Conner’s voice was Batman-like; my heart does go out to him for having a typecasted raspy voice.
The dialogue was pretty dumb! WHO ARE YOU?! i dunno. wow really? best you can do?
why was everyone’s teeth white as fuck and their nails all nasty?
why was conner the established messiah of the resistance when people were ranked higher than him? what did i miss? (I know what I missed, im referring to the people who dont know all this shit)
Why was Bale overshadowed again?
The Arnold cameo(?) brilliant. well done and hilarious! and his body gets fucked up immediately! loves it.
why are the machines smart then dumb as fuck? why do t-600s need shoes?
Why do i smell something burning in my room? smells like coolant burning on an engine…
why did McG spoil his next movie?
anyway, all in all I give this movie a solid B. It was nothing amazing but worth the price of admission or time of download. Though the well done special effects deserve to be seen on the big screen. Let’s call this the Tropic Thunder of this year, it’ll have mixed reviews but will generally be liked for its attempt at not trying too hard to be a good movie (COUGH FUCKING WOLVERINE COUGH). Like Star Trek this movie has something for new and old fans. go see it.
May 23rd, 2009 at 7:30 PM
Let’s get off Terminator 2′s dick. Stop sucking it, it’s not a juice box.
This movie is action porn. Not art porn. Don’t watch backdoor jammers 54 and complain about the terrible soundtrack. TALK ABOUT THE ANAL SEX. The “anal sex” in the analogy I’m making is, in this movie, the action scenes, while the sound track refers to everything else. Yes this movie has a terrible storyline cradling a five year old’s dialogue, using sucky special effects that all building up to dramatic irony that failed to capture nor inspire to awe the audience. (largely because the story didn’t make no fucking sense) But the action scenes. . .
Something about a humanoid robot crawling on metal nubs just to get its cold cruel hands on you makes me so excited. Great action scenes. You’ll be on the edge of your seat trying to catch what’s happening. Flying shit here and then a robot is grabbing at someone’s nuts then a little kid explodes into diamonds. It is all so cash. Go see it for that.
Wouldn’t see it again unless they gave me back the money I paid to see it the first time.
May 23rd, 2009 at 10:53 PM
exploding into diamonds? i dont recall that…but i did just see it happen on Wolverine and the Xmen! I’d see it again only because all the nods to previous movies tickles the nerd in me. all in all its good enough to buy on dvd when it comes out. ofcourse im not saying its a work of art but i liked it enough not to hate it. the movie reminded me of Fallout3.
May 24th, 2009 at 10:21 AM
Im with Mr.Magnum… Get off T2′s dick. Its almost 20 years old, let it go.
It wasnt the awesome movie I expected either but I got what I paid for, ACTION.
June 12th, 2009 at 2:02 PM
still have to watch it im a little behind but nice review.